Japan Data

Visa and Permanent Residency Costs Soar: Changes Affecting People’s Lives in Japan from October 2026

Lifestyle Society

Big increases in immigration application fees are among the changes affecting residents of Japan from October 1, 2026.
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Big Hikes for Immigration Application Fees

The standard cost of extending a visa or changing status rises from a flat ¥6,000 to up to ¥75,000, depending on length of stay. In most cases, there is a discount for online applications. The cost of a permanent residency permit, meanwhile, increases from ¥10,000 to ¥200,000.

Elimination of ¥1.06 Million Threshold for Social Security

The government has eliminated the annual wage threshold, commonly known as the “¥1.06 million wall,” that formerly needed to be met to enroll in health insurance and kōsei nenkin pensions for employees. In addition, at present, part-time workers are currently only required to enroll at employers with 51 or more employees, but this company size requirement will be phased out from October 2027, extending social security coverage and payment requirements to anyone working 20 hours or more each week.

National Pension Exemptions for Self-Employed Parents

As part of childcare support measures for the self-employed and freelancers, the Ministry of Health, Labor, and Welfare has exempted parents from paying kokumin nenkin national pension premiums until their child reaches age 1. Fathers receive a full exemption for 12 months starting from the child’s birth, while mothers receive a full exemption for 13 months, including the month prior to childbirth.

Unified Tax Rates for Beer

As the final stage in a phased reform, the tax on regular beer, happōshu (low-malt beer), and “third beer” (beer-flavored beverages with no malt) is unified to ¥54.25 per 350ml can. This means a tax cut of around ¥9 for regular beer and a hike of around ¥7 for the other two categories. The reform aims to eliminate tax discrepancies caused by differences in raw ingredients and brewing methods to create a fairer competitive environment. Taxes on canned chūhai and similar beverages also increase by ¥7 to ¥35, bringing them to the same level per serving unit as sake and wine.

Price Rises for Heated Tobacco Products

Japan Tobacco has raised the price of all 31 of the tobacco stick varieties for its Ploom heated tobacco device by ¥40. This accompanies a tax hike intended to eliminate the tax disparity between heated tobacco products and conventional cigarettes. Philip Morris International has also raised the price of tobacco sticks for its IQOS devices by ¥20–¥30.

End of Electricity and Gas Subsidies

With the end of summer subsidies, consumers will experience an effective price rise when billed for October energy use. For standard households, electricity subsidies were set at ¥3.5 per kilowatt-hour for usage in July and September, and ¥4.5 in August. Natural gas subsidies were ¥14 per cubic meter for July and September, and ¥18 for August.

Shuto Expressway Toll Hike

Distance-based tolls increase on the Shuto Expressway (Metropolitan Expressway) serving greater Tokyo. For standard vehicles, the rate per kilometer has risen by roughly ¥3, from ¥29.52 to ¥32.472, while their upper toll limit has increased by ¥180, from ¥1,950 to ¥2,130. The average rate hike is 8.1%.

Yū-Pack Rate Rise

Japan Post has increased standard shipping rates for its Yū-Pack parcel service by an average of 10%. Under the new pricing, sending a 60-size parcel (where total length, width, and height do not exceed 60 centimeters) from Tokyo to Osaka is ¥100 more expensive, at ¥1,090. The price change reflects mounting labor and other costs.

Mandatory Measures Against Customer Harassment

All companies and local governments are now required to implement preventive measures to protect employees from customer harassment, such as unreasonable demands and abusive behavior.

Data Sources

(Translated from Japanese. Banner image © Photo AC.)

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